MTI at the Tonys: Past and Present.

MTI at the Tonys: Past and Present.

Part I – Overview.




Tony Award Click on the above image to go to the official Tony Awards site.


MTI has a proud history of association with the Tony Awards. Over the last sixty-three years MTI shows and authors have amassed over two-hundred awards in Musical related categories (see below for a timeline). Classic shows such as GUYS AND DOLLS, DAMN YANKEES, THE MUSIC MAN to more recent offerings such as AVENUE Q and HAIRSPRAY have all won a Tony for Best Musical.


This year MTI is represented at the Tonys by authors such as Dick Scanlan (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE), who has been nominated for Best Book of a Musical for EVERYDAY RAPTURE. In the same category Joe DiPietro is lauded for the foot-tapping MEMPHIS, written with fellow THE TOXIC AVENGER creator David Bryan. MEMPHIS is up for a whopping eight awards including Best Orchestrations, Best Musical and Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre. Also nominated in this latter category is esteemed MTI author Andrew Lippa whose large cannon of work includes the irreverent, WILD PARTY. His latest opus, THE ADDAMS FAMILY for which he wrote Music and Lyrics, has exceeded all box office expectations and earned two Tony nominations.


And then there’s Stephen Sondheim.


stephensondheim-thumb-400x315


Although Sondheim has won more Tony awards than any other composer (eight) we’re ecstatic that the Broadway revival of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC has been nominated for four Tony Awards. Furthermore, the revue show SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, conceived and directed by James Lapine (INTO THE WOODS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK..., PASSION), which charts the rise and success of Sondheim through original interview footage with the man himself, has been awarded two Tony nominations.


Similarly, the 2009 Broadway revival of RAGTIMEhas been nominated for six fabulous awards. Stephen Flaherty (Music) and Lynn Ahrens (Lyrics) are no strangers to the Tonys. Their tropical adaptation of The Little Mermaid fairy tale, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, was nominated for eight Tony awards and the original 1998 Production of RAGTIME was nominated for an astounding thirteen Tony Awards.


We wish to congratulate all nominees and we will have our fingers firmly crossed on the 13th.


In Part II we’ll take a more detailed look at the shows nominated this year.


MTI TONY Award-Winner’s Timeline:


1951 Guys and Dolls


Best Musical


1954 Kismet


Best Musical


1955 The Pajama Game


Best Musical


1956 Damn Yankees


Best Musical


1958 The Music Man


Best Musical


1959 Redhead


Best Musical


1960 Fiorello!


Best Musical


1962 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying


Best Musical


Best Author (Abe BurrowsJack WeinstockWillie Gilbert)


1963 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum


Best Musical


Best Author (Bert SheveloveLarry Gelbart)


1965 Fiddler on the Roof


Best Musical


Best Book (Joseph Stein)


Best Composer and Lyricist (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick)


1969 1776


Best Musical


1971 Company


Best Musical


Best Book (George Furth)


Best Lyrics (Stephen Sondheim)


Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)


1973 A Little Night Music


Best Musical


Best Book (Hugh Wheeler)


Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)


1977 Annie


Best Musical


Best Book (Thomas Meehan)


Best Score (Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin)


1978 Ain’t Misbehavin’


Best Musical


1979 Sweeney Todd


Best Musical


Best Book (Hugh Wheeler)


Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)


1981 The Pirates of Penzance


Best Revival


1987 Les Misérables


Best Musical


Best Book (Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg)


Best Score (Alain BoublilHerbert Kretzmer and Claude-Michel Schönberg)


1988 Into the Woods


Best Book (James Lapine)


Best Score (Stephen Sondheim)


1991Fiddler on the Roof


Best Revival


1992 Guys and Dolls


Best Revival


199The Who’s Tommy


Best Score (Pete Townshend)


1994 Passion


Best Musical


Best Book (James Lapine)


Best Original Music Score (Stephen Sondheim)


1996 Rent


Best Musical


Best Book (Jonathan Larson)


Best Original Musical Score (Jonathan Larson)


1998 Ragtime


Best Book (Terrence McNally)


Best Original Musical Score (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty)


1999 Parade


Best Book (Alfred Uhry)


Best Original Musical Score (Jason Robert Brown)


2000 Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida


Best Original Musical Score (Elton John and Tim Rice)


2001 The Producers


Best Musical


Best Book (Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan)


Best Original Musical Score (Mel Brooks)


2002 Thoroughly Modern Millie


Best Musical


2002 Urinetown


Best Book (Greg Kotis)


Best Original Musical Score (Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis)


2003 Hairspray


Best Musical


Best Book (Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan)


Best Original Musical Score (Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman)


2004 Avenue Q


Best Musical


Best Book (Jeff Whitty)


Best Original Musical Score (Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx)


2004 Assassins


Best Revival


2005 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee


Best Book (Rachel Sheinkin)


2006 The Drowsy Chaperone


Best Book (Bob Martin and Don McKellar)


Best Score (Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison)


2006 The Pajama Game


Best Revival


2007 Spring Awakening


Best Musical


Best Book (Steven Sater)


Best Score (Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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